Bill Weld To Challenge Trump For GOP Presidential Nomination

Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld officially announced that he will challenge President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for president in 2020.

Announcing his presidential bid during an appearance on CNN, the 73-year old candidate said, "I really think if we have six more years of the same stuff we've had out of the White House the last two years that would be a political tragedy."

"It is time to return to the principles of Lincoln - equality, dignity, and opportunity for all", Weld said in a statement.

In his presidential announcement video, contrasting his style with Trump, Weld touted his experience of serving in the Justice Department under President Ronald Reagan.

He was the governor of Massachusetts for two terms, from 1991 to 1997.

Weld is the first Republican to challenge Trump, who had announced well in advance that he is running for a second term in 2020.

Weld, who in 2016 ran for Vice President as Gary Johnson's running mate on the Libertarian Party ticket, has previously said he plans to garner support among independent and millennial voters during the Republican primary.

But he faces an uphill task to take over the GOP, as its leadership in January issued a resolution to declare the party's undivided support for Trump.

In an instant response to the news of Weld's candidacy, the Republican National Committee said, "Any effort to challenge the president's nomination is bound to go absolutely nowhere."

The billionaire President is well ahead of his potential Democratic opponents in raising money for the campaign, as he reportedly amassed $30 million in the first quarter of this year.

On the other side, the democratic list of presidential aspirants is expanding, which contains a record number of women and looks set to be the most diverse ever.